A student who threatened train staff before breaking open platform doors at Cambridge Train Station to escape from police has been handed a community order.

Alexander Kuffor-Boateng, 32 of Linley Road in Tottenham, London, admitted criminal damage but was found guilty after trial of using threatening or abusive words or behaviour at Cambridge Magistrates' Court.

His case was heard back in August but was adjourned for sentence until Friday.

The court was told that on May 28 revenue inspection officer Carlos Lisboa was checking tickets on a Great Northern train service from London Kings Cross to Cambridge Station.

Prosecuting at his trial, Margaret Morrissey said: “Mr Lisboa asked the defendant for a ticket but he did not have one.

“At the next stop in Foxton the defendant got off the train from the first class carriage -but then ran down the platform to the very end carriage and got back on."

When the ticket inspector approached Kuffor-Boateng again, he told him to get away from him and added that he would 'mess him up' - before continuing to be abusive to him and another colleague.

The defendant then got off the train at Cambridge, running towards platform 3 and causing £208 of damage to the doors in a bid to escape.

In mitigation, the court was told that Kuffor-Boateng was a student at Anglia Ruskin University but was living in London at the time.

He was struggling to afford the funds to travel.

The court was told that Kuffor-Boateng accepted his 'dreadful behaviour' and that people in the train carriage feared for their safety.

A probation officer also told magistrates: “He accepts he has a short fuse and issues with his temper.

“His mum suffers from bipolar and his older brother died when he was 12-years-old."

Magistrates handed Kuffor-Boateng, who has five previous convictions, a 12 month community order with a 30 day rehabilitation activity requirement.

He was also ordered to pay £170 compensation to Abellio Greater Anglia.